CLIMATE. 143 



havens. Bridlington Bay is still the only retreat for coasting 

 vessels endangered or delayed by northerly winds ; and a sudden 

 shift of these winds to the east renders even that retreat perilous. 

 At Redcar, nature has run out immoveable piers of hard lias 

 shale with a long deep channel between them ; 



gemina demittit brachia ponto, 



and these piers project so far into the sea as to reach deep water 

 and admit of passage between them at all times of tide. The 

 Tees mouth being encumbered with sand-banks, which retain no 

 fixed position, the construction of a good harbour at Redcar 

 seems to be for the honour of humanity as well as the interests 

 of commerce. 



CHAPTER V. 



CLIMATE. 



THE climate of the largest county in England, one side of which 

 is washed by the German Ocean, while the opposite edge rests 

 for the most part on lofty mountains, must be supposed to differ 

 much in different parts. Partaking of the general characters 

 which belong to the north of England, Yorkshire has some pecu- 

 liarities of climate due to the remarkable mould in which its 

 masses of land are cast. On occasions of cholera and other epi- 

 demics, these peculiarities appear to have a distinguishable in- 

 fluence on the distribution of disease, and in ordinary years the 

 inequality of heat and moisture in different parts of the county 

 is enough to render migration from one district to another 

 highly beneficial. 



For the sake of a general term of comparison for the county, 



